Churn.



Patented Ian. l, Ism. J. w. woLrE.

C H U R N (Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.

(n Model.)

THE NDRRIS PETERS co. PHOw-Llro.. WASHINGTON. o. t:4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. WOLFE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CHURN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 665,155, dated January 1,1901.

Application filed August 21, 1899. Serial No. 727,884. (No model.)

vzen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ohurns, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to certain improvements in churns, and more especially in that class of churns which are provided with an aerating device for subjecting the cream while being churned to the action of air passed through it; and lthe object of my invention is to provide a churn of this general character of a simple, inexpensive, and durable construction and which shall be capable of being readily and conveniently cleansed.

My invention consists incertain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved churn whereby certain important advantages are attained and the churn is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully deiined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an axial section taken through the churn-body, the operative parts being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the churn, the

view being taken at right angles to Fig.1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the churn. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the gear connection at the upper end of the dasher-shaft for dri ving the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken view of the dashershaft and parts carried thereby, the air-forcing device and ail-tube being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the air-forcing device. Fig. 7 is an enlarged partial view showing in perspective the flattened upper end of the dasher-shaft. Fig. 8 is an edge elevation of the dasher and lower end of the dasher-shaft, the air-tube carried lthereby being seen in section. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing the dasher in axial section. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the dasher de-` tached. Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the lower end of the air-tube. Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View cut through the top of the tub or churn-body and showing the means for holding the breaker and cover in place. Fig. 13 55 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one of thebreakers. Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the means for holding the breaker in the tub or churnbody. Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view 6o showing one of the plates carried bythe cover and adapted for use in locking the cover in place on the churn-body. Fig. 16 is a view showing the hook for holding the cover locked tothe tub.

In the views, 1 indicates the tub or creamreceptacle which forms the churn-body, and-2 represents the cover fitting over the same and shouldered around its edges to fit into the open mouth of the tub, as shown in Fig. 1.

4 indicates the dasher-shaft, arranged axially in the tub or churn-body, being stepped f at its lower end, as shown at 3, on the bottom of the tub and having its upper end extended through an opening at the center of the cover 2, above said cover, and provided witha flatsided extremity 5, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, to fit into a similarly-formed opening or socket in a block or bearing-piece 7, held by means of a pin 8 in an opening or recess in 8o the lower projecting hub or boss 9 of a gearpinion 10. The socket or opening in the bearingpiece or block 7 is flared at its mouth, as shown at 6 in Fig. 4, to facilitate the insertion of the iiattened extremity of the dashershaft 4. in its socket.

The gear-pinion 10 is held to turn on a stud 12depending from the under side of a tripod-shaped frame 13, the legs of which are secured to the upper face of the cover 2 in 9o such position that when the cover is in place on the tub said lug extends in axial alinement with the dasher-shaft 4, and a screw 11 is employed for holding the gear-pinion 10 upon the lug 12, said screw engaging a bore in the lug and having a head of greater diameter than the lug and arranged in the recess of the pinion boss or hub, so as to engage the top wall of said recess outside of the opening through which thelug passes, as clearly shown roo in Fig. 4.

The frame 13 is formed with an integral 'upwardly-directed central arm 14, on the `upper end of which is held to turn, by means of which it may be turned. This tripod or frame 13 is transversely slotted in its upper part, as shown at 18, for the passage of the geaierm below the frame into mesh with pinion 10, the end portions 19 of said slot 18 being made reduced and of a width to engage the side of the rim opposite to the gearface, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to hold the gears in mesh and prevent rattling.

The lower part of the dasher-shaft 4 carries a dasher, herein shown as formed of a rectangular' metal plate 20, having a central hub for attachment to the shaft in any preferred way and formed with radial ribs 21 at right angles to each other and disposed centrally at each side of the plate, these ribs` being, as shown in Figs. 1, 5, 8, 9, and 10, extended above the top surface of the plate in inverted-V form, so as to produce upon i the under side of the plate radial channels or passages 22, extending from the central boss outwardly to the edges of the dasher. Two

of said ribs 21, opposite to each other, are also formed adjacent to the hub with raised ears v or projections 23, adapted to fit in notches 24, cut at diametrically opposite points in the lower end of a sleeve or tube 25, which encirsleeve 25 to center the same with respect to i the flasher-shaft, and the inner part of each rib 21 of the plate 20 is provided in one wall with an opening 27 for the passage of air discharged from the lower end of the tube or.

sleeve 25 into the corresponding passage or channel 22 beneath such rib, as will be explained hereinafter.

Upon the upper end of the tube or sleeve 25 is carried a funnel or sheet-metal shell 28 of invertedcone shape held removably in place by means of a reduced neck portion 29, fitting inside the open upper end of said tube or sleeve, so as to be capable of ready removal for washing or other purpose, and said shell or funnel is also formed with a cylindrical mouth portion 30, over which is adapted to fit a rim or flange surroundingr a cover 31, so as to hold said cover detachably upon the funnel or shell. The cover 31 is formed in its horizontal face with a central opening through which passes the dasher-shaft 4 in order to center the funnel and upper end of the tube or sleeve 25, and said cover is also formed with radial slits 32 and with upwardly-bent and inclined parts 33 adjacent to said slits, producing a plurality of inclined blades at the upper end of the shell or funnel, which blades upon the rotation of the dasher-shaft and shell carried by it in a direction to cause the air to pass under the blades will force such airdown into the shell or funnel and compress it su fticiently to cause it to dow down through the annular space between the dashershaft and the tube or sleeve 25, escaping at the open lower end of the said tube or sleeve and rising through the cream held in the tub or receptacle l, so as to aerate the same and facilitate the churning operation. At the same time it will be seen that the ribs 2l of the dasher will imparta rotatory movement to th e cream in the tub 1 and will create a centrifugal movement of the cream beneath the dasher, so as to c ause a portion ofthe air discharged at the lower end of the tube or sleeve 25 to be drawn or sucked through the openings 27 into the channels or passages 22 on the under side of the plate. This airiowing out through the passages under the centrifugal action escapes over the edge of the dasherand passes up through the cream, increasing still further the aeration thereof.

Staples 34 are provided near the top of the tub or `receptacle 1 at diametrically opposite points on the inside thereof, and said staples are inclined to the axis of the dasher-shaft, which extends vertically at the center of the tub. These staples 34 are for engagement with hooks 35, formed upon breakers 3S, each of which consists, as herein shown, of a flat plate cut out or slotted, as shown at 36, at its upper part to form the aforesaid hook 35, such slot opening at the edge of the plate, as clearly shown at 37 in Figs. 1 and 13, so as to permit of readily lifting the breaker out of engagement with the staples 34 when the cover 2 is removed from the tub. The lower partof the breaker is slotted, as shown at 39, to facilitate the breaking or division of the currents set up in the cream by the rotative dasher20.

One arm 40 of the staple 34 is extended outside the tub Las shown in Figs. 1 and 12, and is recurved to forin a second staple 4l, the free arm 42 of which is inserted in the tub for purposes of strength, and on the staple 41 at one side of the tub'is looselyheld a clip-plate 43, having an, opening 44 at its free end, while on the staple at the opposite side of the tub is held a hook 47. (Shown in detail in Fig. 16.) The clip-plate 43 and hook 47 are for use in holding the cover 2in place upon the tub, being adapted for engagement with similarly-formed clips 45, (shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 15,) secured at opposite points upon the cover 2, with their ends extended beyond the periphery thereof and provided with upturned lugs or projections 46. In securing the cover upon the tub the clip-plate 43 is first raised, so as to engage its opening 44 with the projecting end portion of one of `the clips 45, inside th-e lug 46 thereof, after which the hook 47 opposite to the clip-plate 43 is lifted and engaged with the projecting end ofthe other clipinside the lug 46 thereof. The lugs 46 will serve to hold the clip-plate and hook 47 against slipping out of engage IOO ITO

ment with the clips 45 to loosen the cover, and said cover, carrying with it the driving means for the dasher-shaft, may be loosened by sliding the hook out of engagement with its clip and tilting the -cover to permit the clip-plate to be disengaged from its clip 45, after which the cover may be lifted off the tub, the dasher-shaft 4L at the same time being disengaged from its socket iu the lower part of the gear-pinion. An auxiliary dasher 48 may, if desired, be provided, being held adjustably uponthe sleeve or tube 25; but this is non-essential to my invention.

In operation when the cover is in place upon the tub and locked by means of clipplate 43 and hook-i7, the dasher-shaft 4 being engaged with its socket in the gear-pinion, it will be seen that the cover is held against turning upon the tub, and rotative movement of the gear-wheel 16 will be imparted to the dasher-shaft to create a centrifugal action within the cream in the tub through the medium of the ribbed dasher-plate 20, the rotation of said shaft also being communicated to tube 25 and funnel 28, which parts turn with the shaft, so as to cause air to be compressed and forced down through the tube or sleeve, as above set forth, and discharged into the cream near the bottom of the tub to aerate the same and facilitate the churning operation. The breakers 38 act to break or diversify the currents produced in the volume of cream in the tub and also aid in collecting the butter after the churning is finished. The lower ends of these breakers engage the bottom of the tub, and the inclined staples 34 exert a wedging action to prevent lateral movement of the breakers under the influence of the rotatory volume of cream.

The construction of myimproved churn is extremely simple, inexpensive, and compact and is especially well adapted for use on accountof the readiness with which the various parts maybe disassociated and assembled to permit of being cleansed after the churning is finished and put together for use, and it will also be seen that my improved churn is capable of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of my invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

I claim-` l. In a churn, the combination of a body, a dasher-shaft having a dasher, a tube encircling the shaft and loosely mounted upon the dasher and adapted to turn with the dasher and shaft, and removable from both and from the churn-body and adapted to receive and discharge air into and through the cream as it is being agitated, substantially as set forth and for the purpose specified.

2. In a churn, the combination of a body, a dasher-shaft having a dasher formed of a horizontal plate having ribs extending above it and radiating from its center and having air-channels formed beneath each rib, the wall of each rib having an opening near its inner end communicating with the corresponding channel, a tube encircling the shaft and having its lower end loosely mounted on the dasher and adapted for communication with the openings at the inner ends of the dasher-chan nels and means for collecting and supplying air to the upper end of said tube,

substantially as set forth.

3. In a churn, the combination of a body, a dasher-shaft having a dasher formed With radial ribs and channels, an air-tube encircling the shaft and having notches on the 0pair to the upper end of said tube, substan-4 tially as forth.

4. In a churn, the combination of a body, a dasher-shaft having a dasher formed of a horizontal plate having radial ribs extending above the plane of said plate and channels under each of said ribs, a tube removable from and encircling the shaft and having its lowerl end adapted for the discharge of air, ports through said ribs at their inner ends and beneath the open end of said tube Whereby a portion of the air is discharged through each of said ports into its adjacent radial channel, means for supplying'air to the upper end of said tube and comprising a funnelshaped shell having a neck portion arranged to fit removably in the upper end of the tube, substantially as set forth.

5. In a churn, the combination of a body,"

a dasher-shaft having a dasher, a tube encircling the dasher-shaft and removable therefrom and from the dasher, and having its lower end adapted for the discharge of air, and means for compressing and forcing air into the upper end of said tube comprising a funnel-shaped shell having a detachable connection with the tube and provided with a detachable cover having radial slits and angular bent-up portions in its top, substantially as set forth.

6. In a churn, the combination of a body, a dasher-shaft having a dasher, a cover for the body, breakers having hooks, inclined staples held in the body for engagement with the breaker-hooks, and having their arms eX- tended outside the body and recurved to form other staples, and devices held by said other staples for engagement with the cover to hold the same in place on the body, substantially as set forth.

JOHN W. WOLFE. Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMSEY, C. W. EARNIST.

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